Wolves’ saviour Julen Lopetegui will hold talks this week over summer transfer plans amid fears he could LEAVE… after hinting he was unaware of club’s FFP problems when he joined last year
- Julen Lopetegui could leave Wolves after the club went back on several promises
- Wolves chiefs reportedly reneged on promises over signings and investment
- Spaniard is now set for showdown talks with the club over his Molineux future
Julen Lopetegui will hold talks with Wolves chiefs in the coming days to establish the club’s transfer plans this summer amid fears he is prepared to depart.
The Spaniard’s first game was on Boxing Day with the club bottom of the Premier League but he led them to a comfortable survival in the top flight.
Wolves invested heavily in January and will be unable to do so again this summer, with captain Ruben Neves among the leading candidates to depart for a fee of about £45million.
Ahead of Wolves’ clash with Everton last weekend, Lopetegui hinted he had been unaware of Wolves’ financial position.
He said: ‘I have had that meeting [with chairman Jeff Shi] and there are some Financial Fair Play problems I didn’t know before.
Julen Lopetegui’s future as Wolves boss is reportedly in doubt due to the club’s financial issues
Guo Guanchang, chairman of Fosun Group, watches Wolves during a game at Molineux
Ruben Neves (left) and Matheus Nunes (right) are both being linked with an exit this summer
‘I hope we will solve this issue. It’s very difficult to compete in the Premier League without investment.
‘Despite the club investing this year it has been a very hard year so we have to learn the lesson and do our homework to try to improve the team.’
Asked if he is confident the club can solve the problems, Lopetegui added: ‘I hope so. It’s one thing I didn’t know before. I hope we’ll be able to improve to compete next season.’
Premier League rules mean clubs can only post losses of £105m over a three-year period – and in their last financial results, Wolves posted a £46.1m loss.
Since last summer Wolves have spent about £153m on transfers, recouping about £54m. They invested significantly in the January transfer window to try to ensure they stayed in the Premier League.
Lopetegui’s work at Molineux – and his previous efforts with Porto, Sevilla and Spain – mean a number of clubs will be following the situation with interest.
